Central High School - Mirror Yearbook (Birmingham, AL)

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all my life as a magnificent beginning of a long, happj life with my own clear doctor ’ Hut, Mac. you know that you arc nut strong enough to have a big wedding. just think of the receptions, teas, and millions f things that you will have to attend. No. my valley lily cannot have a big wedding. ( li, Dick! I must! I’ve just got to—’’ I II tel! you what. let's be married tonight and go up in the mountains— I know of the nicest place—all cool and quiet where you can rest and get well, then when you come back in the fall, you can have all the good times you want.” I his idea of a quiet wedding did not appeal to wealthy, fastidious Mae, who wanted and had the best of everything, hut in spite of herself she was persuaded to go to the country, even though she still clung to the plan of having a big wedding with millions of orchids and lilies of the valley. )h. my doctor, whv did you make me go? cried Mate as they were saying the last good-byes. I don’t want to go. it will be so lonesome out there, everything will be so rough, no pretty clothes or theatres or—or. Dick! I can’t even have an orchid. I here, there. little girl, there will be at least one valley lily and I will send you orchids once in a while. Then in the fall you can come back and we will have the big wedding. Be sure and write to me every day. Good-bye— good-bye. Mae was prepared for a dull lonesome time. 1 lor trunk was full of novels and writing paper, for she said to herself. I'll pay old Dick back fi.r making me go way out there. I'll write to him so often that he will get tired of reading my letters. All of her worst fears were realized, for as the train stopped at a small dirty-looking station, a roughly clad, sunburned farmer came forward ami asked. Is this ’ere the Miss who’s goin’ to stop at our house? Afterward she could not remember how she had answered him or how she ever managed to pass away the first few days. But when she was told that there was a saddle horse which she could use. her spirits rose and she began to take an interest in the beauties of the country. Dick began to work doubly hard when Mae left, fi r he was verv lonesome in spite of her letters. At first they were dull and Yuli of complaints but soon she began to talk less of herself and more of the people around her. There is a very interesting old man. or. our nearest neighbor has the dearest little baby.” were frequent remarks that made Dick wonder what change was taking place. Then came a day in the fall, when Dick was seriously troubled. A note came from Mae, which read: Dear Dick, Come at once, I need you. No longer votir ‘val'ey lily W hat could she mean, was it possible that she had fallen in love with some farmer hoy? W lieu Dick jumped from the train at the litle station and looked for his dainty valley lily, be was frightened. No sweet, pretty figures in white greeted him. Phe only person in sight was a girl in rough riding clothes bending over to examine a place on her horse's leg. Mae must be sick. Maybe this 23

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All ave a sudden Katie stepped in the middle av the road. In front av her stood a gurrul wit' curly yellow hair an' a face lilke an angel. ‘Saints above!’ cries Katie, who arc ye?’ ’’ ’l m the queen av the little people,’ says the gurrl, smilin’ and spakin’ in a swatc voice. ‘Hivins!’ cries Katie turnin' the color av a cold p'tatie. “‘Don't be frightened. says the gurrl in her soft voice. ‘Is there anny-thing I cud be doin’ for ye?’ “ ‘N’iver a thing.' says Katie and stops. ‘Vis.’ says she, ‘there is. I’m wishin’ for the driss wit' pink shamrocks.' ‘Have it ye shall,’ says the gurrl; ‘where can I give it to ye? Cud ye be cornin’ to the inn?' Katie says ‘Yis’ an’ thin hurries home for it’s time for her to feed the pigs. “Xixt day Katie goes to the inn. On Sunday she come to church wit' the driss on. An’ shure, even the saints in the glass windys in the church was envvin’ Katie. But the nixt day Katie was not at home. Ivery wan knew before the day was over wit’ that Katie and Terence had told each other a bit too much of their thoughts an' Katie had gone to Dublin wit' the curly- haired gurrl. ‘She was a lady’s maid to this angil.’ says ould Mrs. O’Toole. “Poor Terence got a face as long as me arm an' licked two fellers in wan week an’ whin wc wanted to spake to him we always stood near the dhure. He’d spend his nights a-sittin' on the edge av St. Dustan’s well, when he ought to be home a-smoking his pipe. “About a month afther Katie had left. Terence was sittin' at the well as usual whin a voice savs. ‘Terence!’ Well, it tuk Terence foive minutes to dc- cide whither to fall in the well or stay on the outside. Then he says quite hould, ‘Katie.’ “ ‘Yis.’ says the swale voice an Katie come out in the moonlight wit’ her shawl wrapped all over her head. “‘Ye’d best let me come home wit’ ye. Katie says me foinc Orishman. an’ niver a wurrd about her goin’ off. “‘Och. Terence says Katie, ‘ye’re not mad at me?’ “4N’iver a bit says be in bis sthrong. swatc voice. “ ‘Ocb. Terence, vc like me still, do ye? ’Twas foolish T was to go away. ’Tvvas the driss wit' the pink shamrocks what did it all! But, Terence, whin I’d been in Dublin only two weeks the pink shamrocks faded out! ‘An says Katie wit’ a sob an’ a laugh. ‘Terence lad. I do be thinkin’ green shamrocks are the best!”’ IRENE WALDHORST, ’14. IN THE COUNTRY OF THE GOLDENROD “No, Dick, I can’t do it. 1 want a wedding, a beautiful wedding with orchids, orchids, orchids everywhere and lilies of the valley by the thousands. I want a wedding that this city will never forget and that I shall remember 22

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girl would be able to direct him. As he drew near the girl turned and threw herself into his arms. It was Mae. but what a change! She was dressed in a rough, brown riding suit, her face was sunburned and her hair hung down her back in one long plait. In the place of the big bunch of hot-house flowers, that Dick was accustomed to see her wear, was a large cluster of goldcnrod. The next day Mae and Dick went for a long ride out on the country roads. “I have something to tell you.’’ Mae said as they started, “and I know of the dearest place way out among the rocks where, the goldenrod blooms in a perfect mass of color. The goldenrod was in full glory and seemed in some way (strange to Dick) to appeal to Mac. Long before they had reached the place where they were to stop for their talk, their arms were full of the beautiful golden blossoms. As they sat together among the rocks and admired the beauty of the scene. Mae said softly, “Dick, I’ve changed my mind, I don't want a big wedding. I never want to see another evening dress. ' “Why, what's the matter, little girl. I thought-■ “Yes. I know you think that I care for nothing but a good time and parties and those things, but I have found out that I would rather live simply and have the power to see and appreciate the beautiful things around me. I am finding out how to know people ‘worth while and they don’t live in the way I did. We will have our wedding in that little brown church over there and all of the decorations will he goldenrod. FT.OREXCF. SMITH. 13. A SPRIG OF HEATHER. “( h. for a breath o’ the moorlands A whiff o’ the caller air! For the scent o the flowerin’ heather, My very heart is sair! We were spending the summer in Scotland, Richard tiruen, myself, and Baby Dick, six years old last May. Scotland, you must know, was my husband’s early home, before he left it to make his fortune in America. Well, he had not been back since long before we were married, and one morning, almost before the first nasturtium was up in the front garden, he said to me, “Elina, we must go back. The heather is calling me home. We must get there just as the buds arc coining.” Well, as I said before, we went, he. Dick and I. I must say, I never was such a crank about natural scenery as Richard, but anybody would have fallen under the spell of the wonderful beauties of the Liddcl Valley. I was surprised that we didn’t go to Traquaire, where all Richard’s people were, but he didn’t mention it. and neither did I. not being over anxious to be with his rantin’ “old Scotch ‘oman o’ a mither.” We made straight for Harvick Among the Hills, and put up at Copshaw, a very nice little 24